Cinder's Nightmare
by Purplebunny444
Summary: Fire starts that is parallel to the fire in Cinder's childhood and the fire she dreamed about. Her path to recovery.
1. Chapter 1

**This has no association with any of the other short stories I've written. It's just something I thought of.**

It was almost as radiant as the sun, it almost felt like the sun. How he knew, he had no idea. The only thought that crossed his mind was that Queen Levana had caused the monstrosity eating everything in its path.

That everything's main goal was his girlfriend, who was at the heart of the chapel. Cinder was the fish surrounded by hooks, the deer surrounded by lions. Her name, for once he could agree with, held a good association in the setting. Cinder in a fire pit.

He tried helping things stay clear of his eyes by holding up his arm, the only evidence he could see of being covered with ash. He was a living match box.

"Cinder! Cinder, where are you?" It came out as a croak. All was silent. The only true sound of cackling whips was dimmed out by his own emotions. Was she dead? Was she unconscious? Where was she? She was more prone to burns than he was, given her metallic parts. His own hair had been singed at parts, making hers almost for sure burnt.

Where had this happened before? Where had this nightmare occurred? It was at the tip of his finger, ironically trying to bat away tongues of red and orange in the process of his mushed thoughts. Where was the renowned mechanic, the Lunar Princess?

He attempted again, stumbling over a broken seat with the wood showing through. Almost like a barricade for what lie ahead. "Cinder! Plea-" he coughed, "please answer!" His voice was an old shell, tired and losing its power.

Smoke curled its way to his damp clothes, leading him toward the center, where the sky glimmered through the broken glass skylight. The only distinguishable object was Levana's tongues of fury, melting into red and tarnished silver and gold as the heat ran up. He would not leave Cinder here.

Not in this nightmare.

In a last attempt before his voice gave up, he made a hoarse croak of, "Princess Selene."

A glint of glowing grey caught his blurred eyes. Stumbling through the broken shards of glass and fossils of chairs and wood, he fell and fell again until his foot touched arm. A metal arm. A metal arm two feet away from its owner, a leg joining the pile.

He fell to his knees. The scorching pain he should of felt in the fire pit was unbearable, but the emotions were mute like the commotion around him. The chapel was suppose to be spacious; instead, it was like asthma in a dragon's mouth, fire and smoke swirling around every millimeter of the given space.

He had nothing to soak the hem of his shirt with, so he made use of any liquid he had. Tears and sweat combined would have to suit him until after he helped Cinder. To survey the damage, he pulled her lightly off her back and stared dumbfound onto her wounds. Wherever metal and nonhuman parts were, she was burning red. It was distinct enough he could comprehend it through the dyed black from dirt shirt she wore. The last time he saw it, it was as white at the moon on a clear night. Everywhere along her skin where wires and metal were, it was lines of red. Lifting her up slightly, he could waft the burnt hair and slightly melted control panel that was suppose to be hidden.

Cinder was cold. She was the Sahara desert and Antarctica combined. If she wasn't already gone, she would be so soon.

He coughed again and lifted her body. A missing leg and arm lessened her so much it was like holding a medium sized dog, or it was his adrenaline. He was to distracted to concentrate.

Dimly, his ears caught noise. Lifting them, praying he wasn't hallucinating, he squinted his eyes and stared. Gladly, it was his Royal Advisor. Torin dodged and ran, dodged and ran, until he reached Kai and Cinder.

"Take her arm and leg." Was all Kai could manage. Torin nodded and was soon concealed by the growing flames.

One foot after another, one foot after another. His only thoughts replicating in his head. The only thoughts he could manage. The only thoughts making him drag Cinder through the march of a death sentence. Wood planks and skylight glass and artificial lights kept scraping him, line of black lines lacerating his body. Somehow, he got to the exit.

Only the exit. It was nighttime, the chapel acting as fireplace to the cool night and torch to the midnight. He glanced up. The full moon was smiling, as if the whole thing had been a joke to see how Kai would react. He despised Queen Levana more than ever. Sudden realization hit. She had left seconds before the tiny flames started circulating through the vents. She ended a banquet before it could even start.

Palace authorities leaped to him like a cheetah to fawn. All he could he was watch as they said words. Words he couldn't comprehend. All he knew from the squiggly lines on the machinery connected to her finger was that she was clinging to life. The emergency hover craft wouldn't leave yet, and he had no idea why. Cinder was dying! She need to be healed!

Before Kai could voice his urgent opinions, he heard someone say what had been itching in his distant mind:

"Same fire that Levana caused years back to Princess Selene. Poor girl just went through it all again." Then Kai fell.

**While I wrote this I realized it resembled Cinder's used-to-be reoccurring nightmare. Um, I'm going to write something happier maybe since this was kind of dark for me. They all survive so yeah and Levana caused it and I have no idea what they were doing in a Chapel or anything I just went with the first thing I could think of.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I intended this on being a one-shot but hey, I guess not:-D**

She was stuck inside her head. Even with the constant burning sensation, she didn't want to wake up.

Cinder knew she was in a coma, but didn't want to wake up to the cruel world that caused the fire. If she died, heck, let it be in her sleep! She knew Kai was constantly by her bed side, and that the others would be taking turns guarding the outside doors. She just wanted the numbness and fire to end already.

He kept her on earth, spiritually speaking. He kept her breathing, gave her a permanent reason to stay. The others were minor compared to him, he was her life.

Cinder yearned for the moments when he would read to her of old stories, Harry Potter being one of her favorites. She craved for when he would touch her, a soft hand in hand, or a peck to her temple. It gave her a reason to stay.

Thorne was a close second. He, though she refused to admit it, constantly would crack jokes that would have made her laugh, actually. She knew he had no clue whether or not she listened, but her ears were always strained toward his voice. Thorne didn't always seem legit when she was awake, but she could defiantly tell he was being serious, trying to comfort her.

Cress constantly talked. She talked about the movies that were out and the latest books she read. The most recent was a book that wasn't even out yet, that she was beta reading. It was called "Behind a Mask," and Cress would cry about it. She would weep about it. Laugh about it. Cress would help fix up her meals right before she changed spots with one of the others.

Scarlet would explain all the politics going on. She would get angry in some moments, but other times laugh at the world leaders' reactions to declarations. That was all she really would talk about.

Winter would talk about childhood moments, bringing back memories to Cinder. What they did as kids, the pranks they pulled, and the stories they told in the night.

Jacin never really talked, but she could sense his presence. He was like a puddle of water in a dehydrated lake. Something to look forward to, but a little crushed at finding it.

Never did Adri come, and never did Cinder question why. She hated him, and she would always avoid the memories of the family. Cinder allowed herself to be swallowed in dreams. She remembered peering out the castle walls in Artemesia and watch the Earth and planets circle around. She recalled playing hide and seek with Jacin and Cress.

But most of all, she remembered her family always being there for her. Should she leave them, or let herself be free from pain? The answer was controlled by a simple flick of her risk, or just giving up all together.

**Hey, so I intended on being a oneshot, but I'm really bad at leaving things just as one shots. Anyways, I'd never read Lunar Chronicles again if Cinder was killed...**

**So yeah. Goodnight :-D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi so last chapter of this story! It was originally intended to be a oneshot but this I assure you is the last chapter. Quick note, wherever there were no quotation marks is planned, because it goes by like a blur for him.**

He sat by her bedside, stuck in a decision.

He sat by her bedside, left crestfallen.

He sat by her bedside, all ready mourning.

He studied her face, ready to weep.

He studied her face, wanting to scream.

He studied her face, nothing moving.

Her lips were pale, her skin gone cold, not even a hint of shimmer in her dull eyes.

Her face was of snow, her hands of cold rock, and she laid motionless.

A voice perked behind him, You have to make a decision it said. We'll return shortly and left.

The voice he wanted to strangle, he wanted to rage, he wanted to weep and fall.

He sat by her bedside, tucked in decision.

He sat by her bedside, deaf with being crestfallen.

He sat by her bedside, tall with already mourning.

He studied her face, steady in weeping.

He studied her face, taunting his scream.

He studied her face, something moving.

Her lips were pink, her skin getting warmer, now a hint of life in her sick eyes.

Her face was of flowers, her hands of warm sun, and tilted her head.

Her voice jerked from blind, "I have to make a decision she said. Should I stay or leave?

The voice he wanted to hug, he wanted to pray, he wanted her to stay and be tall.

He sat by her bedside, stuck in decision

He sat by her bedside, left crestfallen.

He studied her face, nothing moving.

"Don't leave, Cinder," he pleaded. They doctors had said they wanted her off life support, that it was already way over due, but they as her friends and family couldn't muster the move. "Stay," he whispered, "I plead."

The heart monitor jumped. It stumbled and fell. "Please," he whispered, "Don't leave."

And with great courage, he faced the foe. Cinder's life at his fingertips and the doctors right behind it.

It's time, said the doctor, withered with much stress. The lunar princess's time has dwindled, I'm sorry but leave. Kai ignored the doctor, wanting it to all stop. Cinder couldn't leave, and he'd stay with her till' the doctor departed.

The heart monitor stopped, and he let out a wail of grief, but as he cried himself away, Cinder said "I'm not leaving you, Kai." Or anyone else, for that matter.

**And she does barely survive the fire, again.**


End file.
